High capacity fuel burners are generally used in industries requiring drying of various materials. For example, such burners are required for operating large rotary aggregate dryers and for kiln drying and processing of lime, sand, bauxite, coal, cement and the like.
In drying aggregate for use in asphalt roads, for example, a fuel burner of this type is employed in conjunction with a rotating drum. Wet aggregate is introduced into one end of the drum and veiled as the drum rotates such that the hot gases emanating from the fuel burner pass through the falling aggregate within the drum, removing the moisture from the aggregate. In a typical installation, the exhaust gases are passed through a baghouse which removes particulates and exhausts the gases to the atmosphere. Environmental considerations, however, require a low pollution emissions burner, particularly a burner providing low emissions of nitrous oxides (NOx). With large-scale burners of this type, the problem of providing low emissions, particularly nitrous oxides, is ongoing. Accordingly, there is a need for a high capacity, low emissions burner for use in industrial processes as described.